Bookstacks



United States Patent() 3,216,377 BOKSTACKS Donald A. Gunn, Kenmore, N.Y., assigner to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct.l 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,964 4 Claims. (Cl. 10S-108) This invention relates to new andv useful improvements in bookstacks and more particularly to end brackets used therein to support the shelves.

Sheet metal bracket type bookstacks which provide tiers of spaced horizontal shelves each suspended in cantilever manner by end brackets attached to spaced vertical upright members are well known. The height of each shelf can be adjusted to suit the particular need of the user by adjusting the shelfs end brackets in slots provided in the upright members. It is common practice in a library for example, to arrange a series of identical bookstack units in adjacent aligned relationship by interconnecting the uprights of adjacent bookstack units to thereby present one continuous bookstack. In the latter arrangement of bookstack units the shelves of one bookstack unit are usually disposed in coplanar relationship with the shelves of the next adjacent bookstack unit. However, in such an arrangement if a shelf shifts horizontally when books or other material are placed thereon the end bracket of the shifted shelf will interlock with the end bracket of the next adjacent bookstack unit. The interlocking of the end brackets causes the shifted shelf to dip which endangers a user of the bookstack should books or other material on the shelf become dislodged.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel end bracket for a bookstack unit.

Another object is to provide a novel end bracket for a bookstack unit whereby the interlocking of end brackets of adjacently arranged bookstack units is prevented without the use of means extraneous to the end bracket.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel end bracket for a bookstack unit wherein means are provided on the end bracket to horizontally space the shelves of two or more adjacent bookstack units.

The present invention contemplates a bookstack unit wherein the shelf supporting end brackets are each provided with a blister shaped protuberance wherein the protuberance of the brackets of adjacently arranged bookstack units engage one another to prevent the brackets from interlocking.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of portions of two adjacent bookstack units which incorporate the novel end bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an end bracket shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a shelf shown in FIG. l.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description of the present invention and more particularly to FIG. 1 wherein one preferred embodiment is clearly illustrated, adjacent bookstack units (partly shown), each formed from sheet metal material and of identical construction, are generally indicated by the numerals and 11 respectively and are shown as arranged in adjacent or Patented Nov. 9, 1965 ICS side by side relationship. Each bookstack unit 10 and 11 includes standards or spaced upright support members 12 and 13 respectively. Shelves 14 are each supported by and between a pair of spaced end brackets 15 and which end brackets are suspended from the upright members 12 and 13 in a manner to be hereinafter described. Upright 13 of bookstack unit 10 and an upright 12 of bookstack unit 11 may be interconnected if desired by any well known means such as by detachable bolts 12A one of which is shown in FIG. 3.

Each shelf 14 is `formed of sheet metal material and includes front and rear longitudinal `marginal portions bent downwardly in a well known manner to form L-shaped stilening flanges 16 which extend along the front (FIG. l) and rear (not shown) of the shelf 14. Opposite side marginal portions of each shelf 14 are also bent downwardly to form shelf side anges 17. Shelf side flanges 17 are provided with spaced openings 18 (FIG. 5) for purposes to be hereinafter explained. Each upright 12 and 13 has a series of vertical mounting slots 19 provided therein.

End brackets 15 are preferably formed from sheet metal and have upper and lower hook projections 20 and 21 respectively extending from a vertical side edge 22 thereof Lfor insertion in selected spaced mounting slots 19 of an upright member. Hooks 20 and 21 are offset at 23 (FIG. 2) for purposes to be explained. Hooks 20 and 21 engage the inner wall of the upright after insertion in mounting slots 19. The hooks 20 and 21 securely mount the bracket 15 on the upright and prevent accidental disengagement of the end bracket 15 from its upright. Bracket 15 also has a side marginal portion bent outwardly from a side edge 24 to provide a flange 25 which extends along the edge 24 of the bracket and part way along the top of the bracket (FIG. 2). Resilient tongues 26 are located near the lower edge of the end bracket (FIG. 2) and are pressed outwardly in a direction opposite to flange 25. Shelf 14 is attached to a pair of spaced brackets 15 by inserting the tongues 26 of each bracket into openings 1S formed in opposite side flanges 17 of the shelf 14. The fact that the bracket hook projections 20 and 21 are offset at 23 permit the sides 17 of shelf 14 to extend beyond the mounting slots 19 allowing for a shelf of increased length to be supported by the spaced brackets. Tongues 26 engage the inner walls of the flange 17 in a well known manner (FIGS. l and 3) to support the shelf between the brackets. A blister shaped protuberance 27 is pressed in the surface of each bracket near the upper right hand corner thereof as seen in FIG. 4. Blister 27 extends outwardly in the same direction as flange 25 and slightly beyond the free edge of arrge 25. Each blister 27 has a at circular outer surface 28 as seen in FIG. 2 for purposes to be hereinafter described.

After the shelf 14 and the end brackets have been assembled in the above manner the end brackets are mounted on the uprights as described. A plurality of units may then be located in adjacent relationship such as shown with respect to units 10 and 11 in FIG. l. The shelves 14 of adjacent bookstack units are disposed in coplanar relationship with the shelves of the adjoining bookstack. In use of such an arrangement, if one of the shelves 14 of one bookstack unit tends to shift horizontally due to the weight of the media placed thereon blister 27 of the end bracket 15 abutting against the blister of the adjacent bracket of the adjoining bookstack unit will prevent endwise movement of the shelf. The engagement of blister surfaces 28 of the two adjacent end brackets thus prevents the flanges 25 of the adjacent end brackets from overlapping or interlocking.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the novel end bracket is not limited to an arrangement as described wherein abutting end brackets 15 of bookstack units 10 and 11 are mounted on separate upright members such as upright 13 of bookstack unit 10 and upright 12 of bookstack unit 11. The end bracket is readily adaptable to a bookstack construction of the type for example wherein the end brackets which abut one another are mounted on one upright member and which upright would be provided with two adjacent parallel rows of vertical mounting slots 19 to accommodate end brackets of two adjacent bookstacks.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the disclosed end bracket has many advantages in use. tage as set forth above is that the blisters 27 prevent adjacent end brackets from interlocking which interlocking if it were to occur would cause the shelf to dip thereby risking possible injury to a user of the bookstack. This invention results not only in a savings in manufacturing costs both in labor and material since no means extraneous to the end bracket are used but has the added advantage of the integrally formed blisters 27 providing means for aligning and maintaining the shelves of adjacent bookstack units in coplanar relationship with each other.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the design and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as the same will now be understood to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bookstack,

(a) a plurality of spaced vertical upright members,

(b) a plurality of pairs of spaced vertical end brackets,

(c) each end bracket of a said pair of end brackets detachably mounted on adjacent upright members,

(d) a plurality of horizontal shelves disposed between selected adjacent upright members,

(e) each shelf having opposite end portions attached to a pair of said spaced end brackets,

(f) a predetermined number of said shelves arranged in substantial coplanar relationship,

(g) protuberances formed on said end brackets of said predetermined number of shelves and extending outwardly of the end bracket in a direction away from the shelf attached thereto,

(h) said protuberances formed on the adjacent end brackets of an adjacent pair of said predetermined number of shelves adapted to slidably engage one One advananother to prevent lateral movement of said pair of shelves in directions toward each other.

2. In a bookstack,

(a) a plurality of spaced vertical upright members each having a vertical row of spaced apertures in the front surface thereof,

(b) a plurality of pairs of spaced vertical end brackets,

(c) each end bracket having spaced projections on an edge thereof inserted in selected spaced apertures of a said upright member to detachably mount the end bracket to the upright member,

(d) a plurality of horizontal shelves disposed between pairs of selected adjacent upright members,

(e) each shelf having opposite end portions attached.

to a pair of said spaced end brackets,

(f) at least two of said shelves arranged in adjacent substantial coplanar relationship, and

(g) protuberances formed on said end brackets of said at least two shelves and each extending outwardly of the end bracket in a direction away from the shelf attached thereto,

(h) said protuberances formed on the adjacent end brackets of the said two shelves adapted to slidably engage one another to prevent lateral movement of said two shelves in directions toward each other.

3. The bookstack of claim 2 wherein each end bracket `is provided with a ange portion extending outwardly from one edge thereof in a direction away from the attached shelf and said engaged protuberances preventing interlocking of the flanges of adjacent end brackets.

4. The bookstack of claim 3 wherein said protuberances on each end bracket project outwardly of said end bracket in the same direction as and beyond said ange portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 781,060 1/05 Hanson 10S- 109 1,739,809 12/29 Vance 108-109 1,806,642 5/31 OhnStrand 24S-243 2,005,593 6/35 Onions 10S-109 2,693,884 11/54 Gurn'es 248-243 X 2,772,846 12/56 Skar 248-243 2,803,351 8/57 Van Wiggeren 108-108 2,907,471 10/59 Henry 108-109 2,909,353 10/59 McLean 248-243 3,088,424 5/63 Knuth 108-108 FRANK B, SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BOOKSTACK, (A) A PLURALITY OF SPACED VERTICAL UPRIGHT MEMBERS, (B) A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SPACED VERTICAL END BRACKETS, (C) EACH END BRACKET OF A SAID PAIR OF END BRACKETS DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON ADAJCENT UPRIGHT MEMBERS, (D) A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL SHELVES DISPOSED BETWEEN SELECTED ADJACENT UPRIGHT MEMBERS, (E) EACH SHELF HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS ATTACHED TO A PAIR OF SAID SPACED END BRACKETS, (F) A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SAID SHELVES ARRANGED IN SUBSTANTIAL COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP, (G) PROTUBERANCES FORMED ON SAID END BRACKETS OF SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SHELVES AND EXTEND- 